Flushing Salt without a Hose

[Lark40]

Here's my scene: drive two hours to launch my boat into the salt water of the Bay. Come back to ramp at 6:00. Need to flush salt water out of engine, but no water faucets available at ramp.<br /><br />Drive two hours back, plus stop for dinner. Get home after 9:00 in residental cul-de-sac.<br /><br />Can't run engine in driveway without disturbing neighborhood. Can wash boat and trailer down, but worry about engine, which I can't flush until next day.<br /><br />How can I deal with this? Could I carry a fresh water tank and hose fittings with me to the ramp? Any suggestions?

 

[crazy charlie]

Re: Flushing Salt without a Hose

Dont sweat it Lark,marine engines are made to be left in salt water all the time 7 days a week and 24 hours a day.an overnight will do nothing to your engine,just make sure when you do flush it that you let it run long enough that the thermostat opens so you flush everything. Charlie

 

[mvaughn]

Re: Flushing Salt without a Hose

Fresh water cooling or closed system? overnight should be ok, if it we're mine I wouldn't leave it any longer than that!

 

[kdmiller8251]

Re: Flushing Salt without a Hose

If you are really worried you can always build something like this....<br /><br />

<br /><br />10gal can with a spigot screwed into the plastic and epoxy to seal it just in case.<br /><br />This is what I use to winterize I dont have water at the place I store boat so I fill it with Anti-freeze and off to the races we go...<br /><br />Tallman

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: Flushing Salt without a Hose

Seems to me you could T into a hose somewhere on the top of the motor, and hook the water hose to it and flush with water.<br /><br />Ken

 

[iwldntli2u]

Re: Flushing Salt without a Hose

Also there is a product called Salt Away. If you run it through your engine before you go out it claims to protect from the salt. You can also use it to srpay the outside of your boat. I have used it for two years now and never had a problem. Although it is expensive at 33.00 a quart. From what i can tell it works great. Try it-

 

[Lark40]

Re: Flushing Salt without a Hose

The cooling is raw water.<br /><br />I was thinking I might need something like that water tank in the picture. But, would like to know if there is some alternative to dragging around a 10 gallon container....

 

[Lou C]

Re: Flushing Salt without a Hose

There is a product called the MST Guardian that allows you to flush the engine while not running it, check it out on Boatered.<br />You must have neighbors with sensitive hearing, a 4.3 Cobra really doesn't make that much noise, I've run mine at night a few times, no complaints, but then this is a neighborhood with many boaters.

 

[oldboat1]

Re: Flushing Salt without a Hose

Hey Lark -- overnight isn't long enough to form salt deposits. That is your '60s Lark with the hot water choke, right? When you run it with the muffs the next day, you will want to flush it long enough for the engine to fully heat up and all passages to open. The flush is probably as important for the sand and other debris as for the salt.<br /><br />(Oops -- must be talking about the IO. Same suggestion applies, though.)